Line conductor reinforcement and tie



y 8, 1940. R. SELQUIST= 2,202,538

LINE CONDUCTOR REINFORCEMENT AND TIE Filed July 10, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \NVENTOR y 8, 940. R. SELQUIST 2,202,538

LINE CONDUCTOR REINFORCEMENT AND TIE Filed July 10, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J iNVENToR :Q mm

Patented May 28, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Rolf Selquist,

McKeesport, Pa.,

asslgnor to Copper-weld Steel Company, Glassport, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 10, 1936, Serial No. 89,911

3 Claims.

Line conductors have heretofore been secured to the insulators on which they are supported by tie-wires applied in the field. The tie-wires have ordinarily been twisted around the line conductor with a loop or bight around the insulator. While the line conductor is usually composed of hard-drawn copper wire, the insulator ties have been made up of dead-soft annealed wire, to facilitate the bending and twisting by hand which is necessary in the installation of the tie. Manually applied tie-wires frequently have a relatively loose fit on the line conductor. Chafing of the conductor by the tie and insulator results, and breakage of the line conductor may follow in a relatively short time. While the 20 end of the tie-wire is wrapped around the line conductor adjacent the tie, this make-shift reinforcement has not effectively prevented chafing or fatigue breaks caused by the bending and local hardening permitted by the looseness char- 25 acteristic of the tie as usually applied.

I have invented a reinforcement for line conductor which overcomes the aforementioned objection to the present practice of utilizing the end of the tie-wire for this purpose. In accord- 30 ance with my invention, I provide a reinforcing wire preformed into a helix of considerable length. By suitable manipulation, the reinforcing wire may be applied to the line conductor, and when so applied has a relatively tight fit thereon because the inside diameter of the helix is substantially equal to the diameter of the line conductor on which it is applied. Because it is preformed, the reinforcement has a much better fit on the conductor than can be obtained with a hand-wrapped tie-wire. This snug fit prevents chafing of the line conductor at the insulator, and the reinforcing wire strengthens the line conductor adjacent the insulator, eliminating hard spots which are the cause of frequent failures. The reinforcement can be used in connection with the conventional tie-wire, or may itself serve the function of the latter. The reinforcing wire is preferably made of hard-drawn wire. It thus has considerable stiffness, but is capable of being deformed by hand sufficiently to be applied to the line conductor.

The details of the invention may be readily understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment with certain modifications thereof. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the helical reinforcing wire;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the 5 manner of application;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through a reinforcement and line conductor on which it is disposed;

Fig. 3A is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the reinforcement made of wire of different shape;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a further modified formi Fig. 5A is a similar view showing a still further modified form;

Fig. 6 is an illustration of a tie-wire applied to a line conductor having a reinforcement thereon as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6A is a plan view of the reenforcement and tie in Fig. 6 attached to an insulator;

Fig. 6B is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing a tie formed of a reinforcement such as that of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7A is a similar view showing a tie formed of reinforcing wires as shown in Fig. 5A;

Fig. 8 shows thereinforcing wire utilized in connection with a tap;

Fig. 9 illustrates the use of the reinforcement in forming a dead-end;

Fig. 10 is a slightly different form of dead-end, utilizing a reinforcing wire as illustrated in Fig. 4;

Fig. 11 shows the use of a reinforcing wire such as that of Fig. 5A to form an inexpensive tap;

Fig. 12 illustrates the use of the reinforcement at a point where a suspended load is applied to the line conductor;

Fig. 13 illustrates the use of the reinforcement in connection with a strain clamp at a dead-end; and

Figs. 14 and 15 illustrate the use of the reinforcement in connection with suspension clamps.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reinforcing wire ID of any convenient length is preformed into helical shape by any suitable means. When so formed, the wire I0, even though composed of hard-drawn wire, may be manually applied to the line conductor, such as H, by slightly bending either the reinforcing wire or the line conductor, and starting at one end, twisting the other end of the reinforcement around the line conductor. When so applied, the reinforcement clings tightly to the line conductor because the inside diameter of the helix to which the wire it] is formed is substantially the same as the diameter of the wire I I, as indicated in Fig. 3. The reinforcement l0 thus has a tight frictional grip on the line conductor II sufiicient to resist forces tending to cause relatively axial movement thereof.

The reinforcement I0 is useful in connection with tie-wire such as that shown at l2, engaging insulators for supporting the conductor ll. As shown in Fig. 6, the reinforcing wire I0 is applied to the line conductor adjacent the insulator, and the tie-wire is then bent around the insulator and then twisted around the reinforcement and line conductor as at l3, the ends of the tie-wire being then brought completely around the insulator and twisted together as at H. The tie-wire I2 is preferably of annealed wire, for ease in manipulation. If the tie-wire is properly applied, it will not shift along the reinforcing wire In, and it will hold the line conductor firmly on the insulator. The wire it), of course, reinforces the line conductor II on both sides of the insulator, prevents localized bending thereof and the resulting fatigue breaks. Because of the tight fit of the reinforcement on the line conductor, there is no chafing between the conductor and the insulator or the conductor and the reinforcement. The tie shown in Fig. 6 is one type suitable for an insulator having a top groove.

According to a modification of the invention shown in Fig. 4, a reinforcing wire l5 has its ends l6 preformed into helices, the mid-portion l1 thereof remaining substantially straight. This form of reinforcement is useful in making a tie for a side groove insulator, as illustrated in Fig. 7. One of the end portions I6 is first applied to the line conductor ll adjacent an insulator. The mid-portion ll of the reinforcement is then bent to form a bight or loop surrounding the insulator, and the other helical end i6 is then twisted about the conductor II.

The modification of Fig. 5 has a mid-portion formed into a helix, and straight end portions.

A reinforcement such as shown in Fig. 5A is useful in making a tie as illustrated in Fig. 7A. The reinforcement N3 of Fig. 5A has one end l9 preformed into a helix, the other end 20 remaining substantially straight. The end 20, furthermore, may be annealed to facilitate bending thereof. The portions of the reinforcements of Figs. 4 and 5 intended to be bent in the field, may also be annealed, if desired. To form a tie of reinforcement wires I8, two of them are disposed on the line conductor as shown in Fig. 7A, with the straight ends thereof toward each other. These ends are then brought around an insulator having a side groove, and twisted together as at 2|.

The reinforcement may be composed of wire having shapes other than round in section, for example, oval, square, rectangular or other shapes. Fig. 3A illustrates a reinforcement 22 composed of wire which is square in section.

Fig. 8 illustrates the use of a reinforcement I0 extending on opposite sides of the point of attachment of a tap 23 to a line conductor II by means of a clamp 24.

Fig. 9 illustrates the formation of an eye or dead-end 25 utilizing the invention. A reinforcement I0 is applied to a line conductor ll adjacent an end of the latter. The conductor H is then bent to form an eye or a bight 25, the extreme and of the conductor being twisted about the conductor itself and the end of the reinforcement ID, as indicated at 26.

A similar dead-end may be formed of a reinforcement such as that shown in Fig. 4. One of the helical ends l6 of the reinforcement I5 is dis posed about the line conductor H adjacent its end. The mid-portion I1 is bent to form a loop or bight 26. The remaining helical end I8 is then disposed about the line conductor II, the turns of one helix being intermingled between the turns of the other. While the helices have a tight frictional engagement with the line conductor, a clamp engaging the helical ends of the reinforcement and the line conductor may be employed to anchor the end of the latter.

Fig. 11 illustrates the use of a reinforcement such as that in Fig. 5A to form an inexpensive tap 21. The helical end IQ of the reinforcement I8 is disposed about the line conductor H, the remainder of the reinforcement being bent at an angle thereto. As previously stated, a reinforcement such as that shown in Fig. 5 may be similarly used, and a clamp provided to secure to the line conductor the straight end portion of the reinforcement extending therealong.

Fig. 12 illustrates the use of the reinforcement at a point where a relatively he'avy object, such as a lightning-arrester 28, is suspended on the line conductor II by means of a suitable suspension clamp 29.

Fig. 13 illustrates the use of the reinforcement In in connection with a strain clamp 29 at a deadend.

Figs. 14 and 15 similarly illustrate the use of reinforcing wires III at points where a line conductor l I is supported by suspension clamps 30 and 3|.

In all the illustrated examples of the uses of the invention, the reinforcing wire strengthens the line conductor against localized bending which might otherwise result from swinging of a conductor in the'wind, or from vibration, or vibration movements of the conductor between spaced poles or towers. The effect of the reinforcement is not to prevent bending of the conductor, but to reduce the amount of bending at any localized point in the conductor, and to distribute such bending over a length of the conductor gradually from the end of the reinforcement'to the point of attachment of a suspension clamp or insulator. At the same time, the preformed reinforcing wire will provide a close fit on the conductor, and the objectionable results of the loose fit characteristic of an ordinary tie wire manually applied in the field are avoided, together with all chafing between the line conductor, reinforcement and insulator. .The prcformed reinforcement of hard-drawn wire, furthermore, has greater strength and a much better fit on the conductor than can be obtained with an annealed tie-wire bent by hand in the field. The stiffening of the line conductor adjacent insulators or other points of. support by the reinforcement, prevents the formation of hard spots which result from the bending of one portion of a wire relative to another portion thereof which is rigidly supported. Fatigue fractures in the line conductors are thus rendered much less frequent. The preformed tie-wire can be applied easily and quickly, and requires no particular skill for its application.

Although I have illustrated several modifications of the invention, it will be apparent that it may be embodied in still other forms without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a line conductor adapted to be supported at spaced points therealong, of means for increasing the rigidity of said conductor for a short distance therealong at said points, said means including a preformed helix of hard-drawn wire having a pitch several times its diameter and capable of substantial elastic deformation manually, whereby it may be laid sidewise against said conductor and wrapped therearound without permanent deformation of the helix, the inside diameter of the helix being substantially equal to the outside diameter of the conductor, whereby the helix when so applied to the conductor has a tight frictional grip thereon at all points along the helix, said helix having a length of relatively straight wire integral therewith and annealed to permit it to be manually deformed beyond the elastic limit in the field.

2. The combination with a line conductor adapted to be supported at spaced points therealong, of means for increasing the rigidity of said conductor for a short distance therealong at said points, said means including a preformed helix of hard-drawn wire having a pitch several times its diameter and capable of substantial elastic deformation manually, whereby it may be laid sidewise against said conductor and wrapped therearound without permanent deformation of the helix, the inside diameter of the helix being substantially equal to the outside diameter of the conductor, whereby the helix when so applied to the conductor has a tight frictional grip thereon at all points along the helix, said helix having a length of relatively straight wire at each end integral therewith and annealed to permit it to be manually deformed beyond the elastic limit in 3. The combination with a line conductor adapted to be supported at spaced points therealong, of an element for increasing the rigidity of said conductor for a short distance therealong at said points, said element including a pair of preformed helices of hard-drawn wire, each having a pitch several times its diameter and capable of substantial elastic deformation manually, whereby the element may be laid sidewise against said conductor and the helices wrapped therearound without permanent deformation thereof, the inside diameter of the helices being substantially equal to the outside diameter of the conductor, whereby the helices when so applied to the conductor have a tight frictional grip thereon at all points along the helices, said element having a length of relatively straight wire integral with and intermediate the helices, said length of straight wire being annealed to permit it to be manually deformed beyond the elastic limit in the field.

ROLF SELQUIST. 

